Tom Graham, Dan Fouts, Ahmad Rashad

Tom and Marilyn Watkins were married as students at Oregon.

They bought a home in southeast Denver when Tom was with

the Broncos and never sold it. After Tom was traded, he and

Marilyn rented the home during the season to young and single

defensive back Steve Foley. When Tom came to Denver as a

visiting team player and went to check it out and came across

a mess that would have embarrassed the residents of "Animal

House" -- which was filmed in Eugene, albeit as a 1978 release

 -- he declared to Foley he would kill Foley ... and then Marilyn 

would kill him again. 

Foley made sure the house was cleaned up before the Grahams moved

back in.

Tom and Marilyn's five children were Philip, Jason, twins Daniel

and Josh, and daugher Ebony. Their faith remained undiminished

when Jason died at age 38 in 2011. Of brain cancer.

My 2007 story on the Grahams 

I'm not the only one to note this, but Tom was an energetic idea

man. He got a license from the NFL for team-themed vehicle air fresheners

and his company office was on Brighton Boulevard, just south of the

Denver Coliseum. I'd meet him there and we'd go to lunch in the area.

During one visit, I interviewed him for a Fox Sports Rocky Mountain

feature.

As we set up, the cameraman -- "Crash" -- noted he was a track

and field fan and said he was curious, how did the prominence of

charismatic Ducks distance runner Steve Prefontaine compare to

that of the star football players of that era, including Tom, Dan

Fouts and Ahmad Rashad?

"Oh, it wasn't even close," Tom said.

"Really?" asked Crash. "I thought Pre was big, too."

"No, you don't understand," Tom said. "We weren't even close to him."

And Tom laughed. That deep, guttural Tom laugh.

A visionary, Tom had other Broncos-related ideas, too. He even

registered them with the state. Orange Crush 2.0. No Fly Zone.

Over the past 15 months, Tom fought.

 It was heart-breaking when the news came that after surgery,

the cancer had returned. But Tom didn't give up, and most of all,

he didn't lose his faith ... and his love for Marilyn, his family and

his friends. So many friends. 

Those of us fortunate enough to be among this friends passed

through, and it was thrilling to see his eyes light up in recognition. 

In my case, I was always representing my late father, my family

and his former teammates. We would talk about Duck days, and

Tom got a kick out of remembering -- and telling other visitors --

that my father's most colorful language to his players was, "Kick 

their fannies." It became our code word.

I'd tell Tom he was a fighter, he was kicking their fannies. 

I visited him -- not often enough -- at home, at Porter Hospital

and at several care facilities, including private home care and

ultimately Chelsea Place, where he mostly was among Alzheimer's 

patients and became Tommy, a friend, a former Bronco, a champion 

among the patients. In April, Marilyn sent me a touching video of

Tom on a Chelsea Place van, explaining the meaning of Easter

to his fellow residents and the camera.  

After most visits, I updated my siblings and also a few of Tom's Duck

teamates around the country, and they would pass along the latest

in what amounted to relayed communication. Among those who passed

through Denver for visits were ex-Duck wide receiver Bob Newland,

who had a long career with the Saints, and a former Oregon basketball

star of that era, Larry Holliday. Larry got tired of me telling other

visitors that Holliday, a 6-foot-3 forward, outjumped Kareem-Abdul

Jabbar to open a half at McArthur Court. (True story. Some things

you never forget.)

On good days, Tom would herald a thought by pointing. Not at you,

just pointing. Here came a Tom statement, an idea, perhaps a question. 

Yes, given that I had written many stories about CTE in football players, 

mostly involving figures from my books, we talked about that. Tom 

wasn't accusatory or bitter, he was just wondering.

We had no answers. 

For a brief time early in his struggle, I was planning to do a story

for a newspaper on Tom's battle. Marilyn and I talked about it,

hoping it would be an upbeat story of a great man fighting. But

ultimately, Daniel and I agreed I'd hold off, to keep the struggle -- 

widely known among those in the football community -- relatively

private, at least until, well, later.

That was fine with me. I wasn't there for a story. Though I would

be proud to tell it, that's not why I was there.  

On Tuesday, May 30, I texted Marilyn and apologized for not

getting by that Memorial Day weekend or that day, as I had intended,

but said I would visit in the next couple of days.

A little later, she replied: "Terry, Tom stepped into GLORY this

evening a little before 8."

I was designated an honorary pallbearer. 

Before the funeral on June 9 at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church,

I had great chats with others present from Tom's Eugene and Broncos

past, including Larry Holliday (I told the story a few more times); former

New York Giant George Martin, who entered the Ducks program as a

freshman when Tom was a senior and noted that Tom and Marilyn's home

was a gathering point for the Ducks' young players; and Eugene Pastor

Michael Hilty. Dan Fouts, Rich Ackerman and Jim Figoni represented

Tom's Oregon teammates.

Many of Tom's former Bronco teammates were present too, including

Haven Moses, Randy Gradishar and Claudie Minor (and many more...). 

Tom was -- is -- a great man, with a wonderful living family and a faith that won't be

extinguished. More of his story is in the pamphlet from his service below.

I always will love him. And his family.